Friday, April 1, 2011

Just tryin to get a nut...

Why do Squirrels swim on their backs? well... Never mind. How was everyones opening day? Hopefully great, if not, don't sweat it; you still have 161 games to go! The cap you see above is the official on field cap of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. If you're a relatively big minor league baseball fan, and don't recognize the team name, don't worry. The team is only in their second season in Richmond, as they are a transplant, as a good amount of minor league teams are. Since the Double-A team has been in affiliation with the San Francisco Giants, the club has had 3 team names, 2 locations, and only 1 Western Division Title in the Eastern League. If that doesn't seem like a rough road to success, I don't know what does. The one division title came in the 2009 season, when they were known as the Connecticut Defenders, which provides some optimism for current fans. The team, now managed by Andy Skeels, plays their home games at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia. The Diamond is a near 10,000 seat facility with over 30 seasons of history, as it housed the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1985-2008. Where as it isn't a glorious new facility, it's still a place to call home for somewhat of a nomadic franchise. As a nod of confidence to the teams future in the capitol of Virginia, the $1.5 million has been invested in renovations for new seats and a team store in order to make the old park more warm and cozy. Additionally, the club plans to add indoor batting cages to provide space for extra practice space before games and at-bats for players. After all is said in done, if it doesn't work out as a permanent home, at least Richmond has VCU in the final 4 this year. If you like the cap, its available for purchase HERE . If not, come back tomorrow and maybe you'll see something you like. Until tomorrow, enjoy!